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Poland's foreign minister has become the subject of internet mockery after he said a non-existent country had added its weight to Poland's campaign to win a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Witold Waszczykowski said in New York this week that while visiting the Dominican Republic two months ago he had met ministers from "Belize and San Escobar". There is no such country as San Escobar.

The Polish foreign ministry told the Telegraph the gaffe was a slip of the tongue and may have stemmed from the Spanish translation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Internet wags were quick to pounce on Mr Waszczykowski’s error creating a San Escobar flag along with a Facebook page adorned with maps and photographs of the imaginary country.

The page also carried pictures purportedly of work on a huge statue of the Polish foreign minister, its creators claimed, being built to honour his contribution to bi-lateral relations between the two countries.

Another internet user posted a picture of a San Escobaran banknote adorned with picture of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the president of Poland governing party.

A spoof Twitter feed also started rolling with San Escobar announcing it that it “fully supports Poland’s candidacy for the Security Council", hailing the start of regular flights between the two countries and publishing a Polish translation of its national anthem.

A tweet also stated San Escobar was investigating reports Saint Kitts and Nevis was interfering in its relations with Poland.

For all the mockery handed out over the San Escobar incident one Twitter user concluded “it’s funny until you realise that your [Poland’s] only allies left are Belarus, Hungary and an imaginary Caribbean state.”